A bit late to the party but I'm adding comments regarding some posts I've read.

1. The Crush are overrated. I'll start off by saying that I'm not a fan of the Crush, but we should all give credit where credit is due no matter our personal opinion. The post couldn't be any further from the truth. The Crush won a well deserved division title this season in addition to their past accomplishments (NY Cup winner last spring and LI Cup winner [the last few years I believe] to list a couple). They have been consistent over the past few years.

They are the best team on LI and anybody who believes they're overrated has to review the facts. It seems the person who posted this used a poor choice of words, has something against the team, or just doesn't know what they're talking about.

Are the Crush unbeatable? No, but they are a very difficult team to beat or tie. Those able to do so should give themselves a pat on the back.

With that said I don't think they've been as impressive this season as seasons past. Not sure if they have hit some sort of plateau or if the other teams have improved so much that they provide a greater challenge for the Crush. I agree with some earlier posts that state the Crush goalie makes the difference between them most teams in NYE. No disrespect intended to the Crush or Crush fans.

2. Depth of Nassau and Suffolk top divisions and top 10 LI teams. It all comes down to this, It Doesn't Matter. As stated earlier the Crush are the LI team to beat. All other top team in N1/S1 could win at any moment and some have a shot at beating the Crush. Any Nassau or Suffolk parent thinking one county is better than the other is fooling themself. Both counties have very strong teams that match up well.

If you're judging by non-LIJSL or tournament games then you'll be misled. Many teams bring in players for such games. There are coaches that use such games to try new tactics, evaluate potential players, and/or use these games to provide more playing time to the kids that don't get as much time in the LIJSL games. Another point to remember is that many kids participate in multiple sports during the soccer seasons so some the team's starters may not be at non-LIJSL and tournament games.

The true test will be when they combine the divisions. When that time comes around I'm sure many teams will have some sort of change (i.e. add/lose players on their roster, implode, etc...). As it is now any team could win on any day. For the top ten it's the Crush first and everyone else second. Where you feel a team falls is irrelevant because no team is playing to be second best.

3. LIJSL in spring 2011. We all know that they don't get it right all the time. Coaches are able to request to be moved up or down but that doesn't mean LIJSL will honor that request. The good thing is that LIJSL seemed to get it right this past season. To all teams D2 and lower, just because you were successful in your division doesn't mean you'll have the same success when you move up. As an example take a look at Commack, Dix Hills, NPTCH, and Hauppauge. They were the top teams in D2 last season but struggled to have the same success when they were moved up to D1 this season.

I'm not saying teams shouldn't be moved up or down just that moving up will present a greater challenge. The top 5 or 6 teams in N1/S1 will be tough to beat and are at the top for good reason, they earned it. Unless there are some drastic changes to a team I don't see any of the top 2-3 N1/S1 teams losing they're ranking any time soon. I'm not saying teams moving up or down are not talented, but the top teams in D1 are very talented.

As for moving teams up/down based on points I believe that it should only be considered as part of the decision. It's easier for good teams to win and score points in D2 than it is in D1. Take Commack for example (no disrespect to Commack I believe your team is talented and they seem to be a bunch of good kids) they are a good team scored 27 points in the spring season but only 2 in the fall season.

4. 11v11. This will be an exciting change. Not only will the pitch and goals be bigger but it will require teams to depend on players that may have not been starters in the past. It seems many factor will determine the outcome of this change. Will teams lose players to school ball? Will teams break up? Who will gain talented players? Are the coaches able to find the best starting line up? Will the players adjust well to the change? I believe if all stays the same the top 2/3 D1 teams will achieve a success similar to past seasons. There will be other teams to look out for as well. In my opinion (which could be wrong) I think Brentwood will also do well.

5. Who's team is it? This is an interesting debate. Is it the coach's team or the parent's team? I believe neither, the team belongs to the kids and it takes the parents and coaches working together to achieve success. I applaud all the coaches who volunteer their time, it's a tough challenge.

For this discussion I feel that a wise coach should listen to the concerns and advise of parents who know what they're talking about. If you don't you could put your team in a position where players will leave. Parents should respect the coach's decision, if a parent is not happy with the coach's decision(s) they should pull the coach to the side and have an objective conversation regarding their concerns. Afterwards if neither are in agreement I would say it's time to move your child to another team.

Coaches, if you're humble and objective then you should be able to take into account the legitimate concern of a parent. If you think you know it all or that you'll be the one who always knows what's best for the team then you're fooling yourself. I'm sure there are exceptions to this, but even so parents have a right to be heard.

Did you get dressed up and rehearsh that in front of the mirror?

Does anyone have details on the U-11 State Cup? Will it be held in the Spring? Where do we sign-up?